Historical Background
SUNY Geneseo, one of 13 university colleges within the State University of New York system, was established by an act of the New York State Legislature in 1867 as the Geneseo Normal and Training School and opened on September 13, 1871. Curricular offerings included elementary English, advanced English, and classical studies.
In the early 1900s, the curriculum was reorganized to require two years of professional study, and admission was restricted to high school graduates. In 1922, the programs were extended to three years, and in 1938, to four years. In 1942, the College was granted authority to confer baccalaureate degrees in all its curricula. Basic teacher training programs were expanded to include preparations for teacher-librarians, teachers of children with special needs, and speech pathologists. Teacher education continues to be a strong component of the College’s programs.
Geneseo became an original campus of the new State University of New York system at SUNY’s inception in 1948. During the next three decades, the College developed strong liberal arts and sciences programs and added several professional curricula. The first master’s degrees were awarded in 1951. In 1962, the teachers colleges of the State University became Colleges of Arts and Sciences. Geneseo’s four-year degree programs in arts and sciences were implemented in 1964. The College now offers more than 150 programs of study in various disciplines, including partnership programs with other institutions. The College’s commitment to providing a broad-based liberal arts education was confirmed in 1980 by establishing a required core curriculum in natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts. A further revision in 1999 added critical writing, a quantitative requirement, and foreign language, and in fall 2023, the College, which continues to improve and upgrade its curriculum through regular review and assessment, introduced Geneseo Education for a Connected World, an undergraduate curriculum designed to prepare all students for success in the 21st century. The strength of the liberal arts program was recognized in 2003 with approval to install a Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus. The chapter inducted its first class in Spring 2004.
Since 1994, SUNY Geneseo has been a member of The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), an alliance of high-quality, public liberal arts institutions. Founded in 1987, COPLAC promotes excellent undergraduate education in the liberal arts tradition, the development of effective teaching and learning communities, and expanding access to public undergraduate liberal arts education of the highest caliber. COPLAC’s membership currently consists of 30 public liberal arts colleges and universities committed to providing and advocating for the superlative, life-enhancing undergraduate education normally associated with small independent colleges. COPLAC also provides leadership in defining and modeling “best practice” in undergraduate education and promoting the qualities cultivated by outstanding student-centered liberal arts colleges.
The State University of New York at Geneseo has evolved dramatically over its 152-year history into a highly selective public liberal arts college nationally recognized for its quality of education.
Locale
Geneseo is in the heart of the Genesee Valley and is noted for its scenic beauty. Rich in Native American history and legend and the former site of many Native American villages, the Genesee Valley was the western limit of the territory of the Senecas.
Geneseo is an ideal college town with long-established traditions of friendship and culture. The village - one of 24 communities nationwide to be recognized as a National Historic Landmark - and the campus’s ivy-covered brick buildings reflect a traditional college atmosphere.
The College is readily accessible. Rochester, which is 30 miles to the north, is served by Amtrak and several airlines. Bus service connects Geneseo with Rochester and many towns and cities in surrounding counties. LATS (Livingston Area Transportation Service) provides regular daily shuttle service around the college and local commercial areas and weekend service to Rochester designed for Geneseo students.
Geneseo’s 220-acre campus is just a few minutes off Interstate Route 390, which connects with the New York State Thruway (Exit 46) in Rochester. US Route 20A and NYS Routes 63 and 39 all pass through the village of Geneseo near the campus.
Roemer Arboretum
The Roemer Arboretum was founded in 1990 through an endowed gift to the Geneseo Foundation by Spencer J. Roemer, College benefactor and former director of admissions. It consists of 20 acres, located on the College’s south campus, south of the residence halls, and between Routes 20A/39 and Route 63. Visitors enter from Routes 20A/39 through the South Campus parking lot J.
Mr. Roemer expressed the wish that the area be used by college faculty and students as a living outdoor classroom to preserve and enhance the beauty of the Genesee Valley. The arboretum is open, free of charge, from dawn to dusk. Visitors are encouraged to walk along the paths, admire the beauty of the Genesee Valley, inspect the variety of trees and plants, relax, and enjoy the view from the gazebo and benches.
Galleries
The Bertha V.B. Lederer Gallery in William A. Brodie Hall presents contemporary and historic rotating exhibitions, including works by local, regional, and national artists. The Bridge Gallery, a unique space bridging two wings of Brodie Hall, exhibits artwork by Geneseo students.
Buildings and Facilities
The Geneseo campus is characterized by its picturesque setting overlooking the meandering Genesee River and attractive buildings combining brick and limestone in collegiate Gothic and functional styles. James B. Welles Hall, which houses several academic departments and college classrooms, was originally a “demonstration school” and, later, the elementary school for the Geneseo Central School District. Lockers and some fixtures remain as charming reminders of that history.
Bertha P. Fraser Hall connects Wads Aud., South Hall, and Sturges Hall and houses faculty offices and classrooms. Austin W. Erwin Hall is one of four buildings fronting the College Green on the upper quadrangle. The Integrated Science Center, which opened in the fall of 2006, also fronts the College Green. This 176,000-square-foot building is designed for interdisciplinary collaboration and to support Geneseo’s strong undergraduate research program. The departmental offices for Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics are housed in the Integrated Science Center, and there are cutting-edge facilities and equipment for science education, research, and connections with community biotechnical and chemical analysis companies. Connected to the Integrated Science Center is Newton Hall, containing classrooms.
Guy A. Bailey Hall, renovated in 2015, honors a nationally known biologist who served as chair of the sciences at Geneseo. Bailey Hall houses the departments of Anthropology, Geography, Psychology, and Sociology.
The William J. and John M. Milne Library, just off College Green and overlooking the valley, is set to reopen in the fall of 2024 after an extensive renovation. Widely recognized for its innovative use of space and service orientation to students and faculty, Milne will continue to offer its stacks, reference desk, and an award-winning interlibrary loan department. The newly renovated space includes team rooms, high-tech classrooms, computing facilities, the Teaching and Learning Center, the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Center, the Center for Academic Excellence, and a café. A new patio and community room offer more opportunities for events and meetings.
William A. Brodie Hall, designed by distinguished architect and former apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, Edgar Tafel, houses three fine and performing arts departments, including the Austin and Sinclair theaters, music rooms, dance studios, and the Lederer and Bridge art galleries.
South Hall, which opened in 1995, houses the Schools of Business and Education, the Department of Mathematics, and the College’s main computing facilities (including a two-level general access computer laboratory). The three-story structure contains state-of-the-art teaching facilities, including specialized classrooms developed to meet the programmatic needs of the four academic departments.
Doty Hall, which served as Geneseo High School (1932-1974) and then housed the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), was fully renovated and re-opened in 2013. OPWDD continues to occupy the ground level, and several College offices occupy the top floors, including the President’s Office and the vice presidents for Enrollment Management, Student & Campus Life, Administration & Finance, and College Advancement. The Admissions office and the Office of Diversity and Equity are also in Doty, as well as an acoustically exceptional recital hall that hosts dozens of concerts throughout the year.
Residence halls are grouped into the South Village, the Central Village, and the North Village to encourage community and interconnections among residents. The South Village consists of Nassau, Niagara, Onondaga, Suffolk, Wayne halls, and Red Jacket Dining Hall, renovated in 2018. Many of these halls are corridor-style, popular with first-year students. Saratoga Terrace, townhouse-style campus housing for two hundred upper-level students, links the South Village with the central campus. The complex includes a Commons building with laundry facilities and group meeting space. The Central Village comprises Jones, Livingston, Monroe, and Steuben halls and is close to Mary Jemison Dining Hall. Monroe Hall’s 2013 renovation is certified to gold LEED standards and boasts geothermal heating and rain-water harvesting. The North Village, where Letchworth Dining Hall reopened in Fall 2014, includes Allegany, Erie, Genesee, Ontario, Putnam, Seneca, and Wyoming halls. The suite-style halls in the North Village provide flexible group living spaces, popular with upper-level students. Putnam Hall, connecting Allegany and Wyoming halls, won a regional award for design excellence when it opened in Fall 2004. Seneca Hall, new in 2009, is an architectural complement to Putnam; this 84-bed residence connects Genesee and Ontario halls.
Residence halls provide service, reception areas, student lounges, and study spaces. Every residence hall room is equipped with fire sprinklers and smoke alarms. Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors are installed in bedrooms and common spaces on any level in residence halls with gas-fired equipment. Every residence hall building includes laundry facilities and kitchenettes. All residence hall exterior doors are locked 24 hours a day with a card-access security system; residential students enter their halls with their Geneseo ID cards.
The campus meal plan offers many dining options, including pay-one-price dining locations (Letchworth, Mary Jemison, and Red Jacket Dining Complexes) and retail dining locations, including Starbucks. Vending machines are in academic buildings, residence halls, and athletic buildings throughout the campus.
Student Health and Counseling Services are located in the Lauderdale Health Center. This building houses medical equipment and supplies necessary for the health and counseling needs of students and is staffed by full-time College medical personnel. A smaller center is located in South Village.
The Carl L. Schrader Health and Physical Education Building is one of the facilities designed to provide for the health, physical education, and recreational needs of the College community. This building has a gymnasium, racquetball courts, a dance studio, individual exercise areas, and other facilities for instructional and extracurricular programs. It also houses the offices of University Police and Facilities Planning.
The Myrtle Merritt Athletic Center is connected to the Schrader Building and contains Kuhl Gymnasium, Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena, a swimming and diving pool, a complete fitness center with workout equipment, and coaches’ offices.
College Stadium is a 2,000-seat, fully-lighted facility with two synthetic turf fields that accommodate soccer, field hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and intramural and casual recreation. Amenities include individual work rooms, four team rooms, a full athletic training facility, two press boxes, and a full-service concession area.
A large proportion of the campus adjacent to the health and physical education complex has been developed, according to a comprehensive plan, as an outdoor athletic and recreational area. Raschi Field for softball and space for lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, and tennis are located in this area. Moench Field serves the needs of the track and field programs.
The Robert W. MacVittie College Union is the hub of campus recreational and cultural student activities. It includes student organization and staff offices; lounges, meeting rooms, recreation, and study areas; Starbucks; campus bookstore; ballroom; the campus mail facility; ATM, the Geneseo Federal Credit Union; MOSAIC (Multicultural Organization Space for Activities, Inclusion, and Collaboration); and GOLD leadership center. The Ticket Office sells tickets for all performing arts events on campus. Further information is available at http://union.geneseo.edu.
State University Of New York
The State University of New York’s 64 geographically dispersed campuses bring educational opportunities within commuting distance of virtually all New Yorkers and comprise the nation’s largest comprehensive public higher education system.
For more information about SUNY: www.suny.edu/attend/visit-us
The State University motto is: “To Learn-To Search-To Serve.”
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